ARCANES
by RealTears
Summary: Characters created by Tanya Huff, and brought to life by the BLOOD TIES TV series. After living separate lives, Henry and Vicki find themselves together again working for the A.R.C.A.N.E.S while overing coming territorial issues.
1. Chapter 1

**A.R.C.A.N.E.S**

**Chapter 1**

_This story starts several years after the last chapters written by Tanya Huff with bits and pieces from the BLOOD TIES TV series blended in, but the plot line will be original and not necessarily following previously published back history for Henry and Vicki.. I will be taking liberties with both works as I try to create something new. I hope you enjoy reading this variation. RT_

The rain stopped just after sunset leaving the night crisp and cool with a fresh washed smell. The leaves were covered water and gave Henry a brief shower after each gust of wind as he walked along the quiet street appreciating that the night was still young and he had already fed. He smiled to himself as he thought of the one he found sitting alone on the park bench. She was forlorn because she had been stood up and Henry used his talents to leave her sitting there with her hair mussed up, a bruise on her neck and a bemused look on her face. She would stay there another few minutes then go home remembering the guy she met was nice enough, but they had no plans to meet again.

As he walked he tilted his head sniffed the breeze and caught the scent of the one person he could never forget and in the distance he heard the heartbeat that went with that scent. He snarled as his fangs and eyes became those of an angry predator knowing another of his kind was in his territory without permission.

***

Tired after hunting and killing her latest assignment, Vicki found a place to stop. She'd been moving cross country for three months never staying more than a few days as she followed her assigned kill. She didn't know where she was going stop when she started out, only that she knew why and what needed to be done. Henry had taught here well during the months they had been together and she could find a safe place wherever she was come dawn. Yesterday had been no exception and until she caught his scent, she didn't realize she had ended up where he lived.

***

Henry stood in the historical village and looked up at the old church on the corner. He had been keeping track of it since the early days of the town. He watched it grow and flourish for centuries only to have it become abandoned, condemned, reclaimed, then abandoned again. Finally in the mid 1960's when it was slated for destruction the historical society fought to save it and the surrounding cemetery and moved all of it to a reenactment village. His face was a mix of sneer and smile as he came close to where she was hiding in the shadows.

A voice drifted down from the top of the bell tower, "Are you laughing or growling Fitzroy?"

He leaned back as he looked up to see her sitting on the edge of the highest peak. His sneer turned into a grin as he said, "Both." Then he wave at her and ordered, "Come down."

She shook her head and said, "Nope. You come up."

"I'm not dressed for climbing."

"Your fancy pants and shoes can handle the strain. You've more money than God, buy new ones."

"Don't blaspheme. You could be struck by lightening and I don't have that much money."

He walked around the church looking for the best way up. More afraid of doing damage to the church than he was of ruining his clothes, he carefully placed his fingers and feet as he moved quickly up the side of the old building. When his head cleared the edge he said softly, "May I come the rest of the way?"

"Sure. I don't own this place."

He pulled himself up and said, "Actually this is my territory."

She drew her feet back from the edge, stood and said, "Sorry, Mr. Fitzroy. I'll leave."

He looked at the bird droppings then his shoes and knees gave a sigh and sat down. "Since I'm already up here let's both sit and talk."

She sat quietly beside him for a long time before saying, "I would've asked permission to enter your territory if I'd known I was going to be here."

Nodding regally he said, "Permission granted." He looked out over the historically restored streets and thought of his early years after coming to the new world before adding, "I was sorry to hear about Mike."

She gave a careless shrug, "Yeah, well, we've all gotta go sometime."

"That's harsh Vicki."

"His last words to me were harsh. We'd been fighting and I went back to my apartment. I waited for a week and he didn't call. Anyway, by the time I swallowed my pride and went to him, he was dead. Who knew he had a brain aneurysm that could blow any minute? He was gone, dead, and buried and he managed to get the last word in."

"What did he say that could have been that bad?"

"We were arguing about him retiring and me taking another case."

"Keep talking. You'll feel better saying it out loud to someone that cares about both of you."

"He called me a blood sucking parasite without a conscience and that for once I should consider how it felt to be nothing more than a food source. So I got up, walked out and slammed the door in his face."

He looked puzzled as he said, "You two have said worse to each other over the years and since when did you ever let him get in the last word?"

"Mike didn't want to retire and it was bothering him I was working for the A.R.C.A.N.E.S. In my own way, I was trying to cheer him up by letting him win an argument or two."

Henry lifted his hand to brush back a lock of her hair and stopped his hand before it connected as he said, "I see."

Vicki leaned toward his hand and braced herself, "I won't bite, you can touch me if you want."

Henry looked into her silver green eyes with his deep blue ones and gave her a half smile that caused his dimples to wink, "I won't stop with a single touch. Are you prepared for what'll happen?"

Vicki pulled her feet back and said, "We'd better get down from here first, but yes, I've been preparing myself for our next meeting for years. I may not have planned to come here, but this is where I've needed to be for a long time. I've missed you Henry, and I've missed what we had."

Henry stood and headed back toward the side where he had climbed up as Vicki said, "Why don't you use the trapdoor from the bell tower?"

This time Henry laughed out loud as he said, "You could have told me about the door before I messed up my clothes and shoes."

"I couldn't make it that easy for you, could I?"

Henry glanced toward the bell tower and shook his head, "The side of the wall is safer than that thing. I'll go down the way I came up."

"Suit yourself." She took a few steps toward the tower and felt the slate tiles shift under foot and turned to Henry as his head disappeared over the side and said, "You know, you just might be right."

The simmering anger that's always a part of a vampire responded to the challenge of another of it's kind so close causing him to growl in warning as Vicki's foot touched his hand.

She snarled as her body tensed for attack and pushed her inner monster back under control. "We're going to have to move slowly."

Henry moved back to give them more space as he asked, "Have you fed recently?"

"Not recently. I needed to get the case closed and find sanctuary."

Henry unbuttoned his sleeve and held out his wrist.

She licked her lips before saying, "You're offering?"

He remembered all the intimate times they shared the year they were together while she completed the process of turning vampire. Those few months hadn't been enough to satisfy his desire for her. "I'll never be able to deny you and I'd like to feel my child feed again."


	2. Chapter 2

**ARCANES**

**Chapter 2**

_(Alliance, Rescue and Care of All Nonhuman Erstwhile Species)_

Vicki licked her lips and longed to bite his wrist but shook her head no and said, "Not here."

Shrugging, Henry gestured for her to start walking, "Your choice, we'll go back to my place."

She reached out and touched his elbow, "Not so fast. I'm not going to be another notch on the bedpost."

He dropped his arm and gave a snort, "There are no notches on my bedpost."

Vicki laughed, "Henry, you make it too easy for me to tease you. Let's go before the vampires come back."

He took her to a place of sanctuary far from his listed residence. She looked around and saw his favorite possessions including the sword, the picture of his father and the sketch of her holding that sword that he had drawn early in their relationship. Seeing her own face on the wall told her more of what Henry thought of her than mere words. She breathed deeply she brought his wrist up to her lips and blew gently on the pulse point, "I want more from you than just your blood."

"And I want to give you all of me. Stay with me."

"I'll stay and love you as long as the vampires tolerate it."

***

Vicki felt his lips at her throat and lifted her chin to give him easier access while the gentle pressure of his knee on her inner thigh urged her to open for him as he slid his shaft deep into her core. She let a soft laugh escape along with her moan of pleasure.

Henry stopped feeding long enough to ask, "What's so funny?" Then continued to suckle. After another mouthful of blood, he licked the wound closed as they continued making love.

When her mind was able to focus on more than love making, she answered him, "You. Me. Us. We never seem to get enough of each other."

He moved away from her as he growled , "You're complaining?"

Vicki sat up and looked into his deep blue eyes, "Of course not."

Henry sat up beside her, raised her hand to his lips and used his fangs to rub across the back of her wrist before saying, "I love you beyond all reason."

Vicki started to answer as the monster within rose in anger, "Either we start fighting or I'm out of here for a while."

Henry felt his own vampire warning him, so he rolled off the bed and stood at the far side of the room allowing her the space needed to get dressed.

She moved quickly gathering her things. Ready to leave, she paused at the front door, "I got a call from the ARCANES yesterday and I might need your help."

Henry liked working cases with her in the past and smiled as he said, "Of course, but first you're telling me more about the ARCANES."

"Soon." She turned the door knob and said over her shoulder, " Henry, they are our only hope for survival."

He moved to follow her yelling, "Get back here! You can't leave a statement like that hanging in the air." By the time he reached the door she was gone.

Shrugging as he went to the balcony to watch her exit from the building. He saw her raise her hand as though waving, but instead she put her phone to her ear. He could hear her snarling, "No! I didn't kill him." But before he could hear more she started running and her voice was lost in the wind.

***

Several nights passed since he last saw Vicki and he was growing impatient. He'd kept his mind busy so that there was no time to think about what he had heard Vicki say but it wasn't easy. Vampires were suspicious to the point of paranoia and they never gave enough of themselves to place themselves in danger, but Henry had shared all of himself with Vicki, and she had the power to destroy him.

Henry heard his phone and tapped send, "This better be you." He heard her respond, "It is. I'll be outside your door in a minute."

Henry stood leaning against the door frame watching the brown eyed, brunette coming toward him. It didn't look like her, but his vampire told him it was her. He raised one eyebrow as he stepped back allowing her to walk past him and into the apartment.

She growled deep in her throat to acknowledge one of her kind as she turned with her arms out, "Well do I pass inspection?"

Henry made a turn motion with his finger as he studied her from every angle. "Without my enhanced senses, I'd have walked right by you. Why the disguise?"

"The new case. Henry, I need your help."

"First I need some answers. The other night, I heard you say '_I didn't kill him,'_ were you referring to me?'

"Yes."

"Who'd ask you that?"

"My handler. The ARCANES know about vampires and their territorial issues. They are aware that I'm spending time with you and they prefer that we don't harm each other."

"It's past time for you to tell me the who, what, and why of the people you're working for."

Vicki said, "I'll take you to their office but I need to change and I could really use a kiss."

Henry was beside her before she could blink giving her a hug and a welcoming kiss that had both of them begging for more.

She came back out of the bathroom looking like herself except for the hair which had been cut, dyed, and curled.

Henry pointed at the couch and said, "Until I have details, we're not going anywhere." Vicki sat as he added, "Start talking."

"I'm not sure where to begin." She closed her eyes, took a breath then started. "The ARCANES or I should say, the Alliance, Rescue and Care of All Nonhuman Erstwhile Specieshave been around for a long time. What they do is necessary for the survival of the non human magical / mythical races. I came to their attention after working a rather difficult case involving a particularly nasty demi-demon and they thought I could help them with their mission."

Henry tilted his head to one side as he asked, "What mission?"

"Okay, I'm going to let them explain that to you. I can tell you that they work for the betterment of all life."

"You said you had to kill your last assignment."

"Yeah. A few days after Mike's passing, my handler called and told me to track down and persuade an efrit to go back to the ether regions or eliminate it. Since it savored the turmoil it created in the human world and refused to leave, I took it out."

"Why haven't you told me all this years ago?"

"I've been under orders not to until they had a chance to make up their minds about vampires. I'm working for vampires as much as I'm working for them."

Henry started to ask more but Vicki held up her hand, "Come with me and I'll let them explain the rest."

***

Linden called out, "Bumble! Get in here. What are you doing?"

Mr. N. Bumble called back, "Right away. I'm trying to get the outer office in shape." The fat little man bustled into the room. His brown hair stuck out in tufts above his ears, his vest was horizontal strips of alternating yellow and black and he wore a cut away coat complete with tails.

Linden stood up, "Get rid of that outfit! You look like a honey bee. Wear something from this decade."

Bumble blinked back tears, "I am a bee, but if you insist." Bumble closed his eyes and concentrated. He stood with a shirt stretched over is bulging middle until it looked like the buttons would pop while the belt of his pants was well under the belly and the crotch at his knees. He held out his hands for inspection.

Linden waved a hand and Bumble was again dressed in vest and cut away. "It can't be helped. I should've brought someone else to be my assistant. I'm not the best one to face Vicki and her friend but I'm the best that can be spared. Go out and watch for them and try not to be obviously a bee when they get here."

Henry and Vicki stood outside the older office building reading the directory. Vicki tapped a name and said, "Here it is. Top floor."

Henry looked at the name she had pointed to and read, A. R. Canes, Ltd. Suite 1001.

"Vicki, this is a five story building. There's no way the office is on the 10th floor."

"Let it go. There are no rules for the ARCANES, it all comes down to illusion."

***

Henry reached around Vicki and opened the door to Suite 1001 and spied Bumble standing in front of the desk. He turned back to Vicki and raised an eyebrow in question.

Vicki leaned in and whispered, "Okay. That's way over the top." She looked at Bumble and added, "Cut the crap or Henry and I are out of here.

Bumble straightened his shoulders and buzzed, "I'm sorry if the way I look offends you. I'm not supposed to be here, but the others that can travel in this realm are on assignments. Mr. Linden is waiting."

"Where's Jet?"

"She's been called back to Erst." He held out his hand and gestured for them to go into the inner office.

Linden sat behind his desk with hands folded trying to maintain a dignified appearance as the door opened. He took one look at Henry, stood so fast the chair rolled back and hit the wall. Linden bowed low and said, "Your Highness, forgive me. I didn't know you would be with her." He looked to Vicki and asked, "Is this the one that turned you?"

"Yes."

"Then I must beg your pardon too, Princess."

Vicki's mouth fell open and she looked from Henry to Linden and stammered, "What's going on."

Linden said, "Will you tell her Your Highness or shall I?"

Henry nodded his head regally and said, "Perhaps you should, for I'm not quite sure why I'm being so honored by one such as you."

Linden straightened and said, "The races of the Erstwhile Species revere the royal families of the Anglican line. As a royal prince, your children are also royal. Victoria is yours, therefore, she too is royal." Linden bowed again, "That is, you do acknowledge her, don't you?"

Henry tilted his head and studied Vicki closely. He smiled, placed a hand on each of her shoulders, kissed her forehead then her cheeks and whispered, "I Henry declare you, Victoria Nelson Fitzroy, my one and only true issue." He looked at Linden and said, "Yes, she's all mine."


	3. Chapter 3

**A.R.C.A.N.E.S**

**3**

Vicki snarled, "I'm not a princess, I'm not Henry's daughter, and I'm not his wife. I'm Vicki Nelson, Vampire, special agent for hire."

Linden and Henry looked at each other then Henry looked straight at Vicki, "Are you mine?"

Vicki stared straight into his eyes, "I've been yours for a long time and don't you forget you're mine."

Henry winked at Vicki and mouthed, "Never." Then said to Linden, "Drop the idea we're royalty. Prince Henry is long dead. Just tell me what's going on."

Linden gestured for them to sit and asked Bumble to go out front and look useful.

As Linden started talking about ARCANES and the non Judeo-Christian view of creation. Vicki let her mind wonder until Henry finally asked, "So what does all that mean for us?"

"Each time one of the erstwhile population is pulled into the human world, Erstwhile is diminished and your world is at risk. We are all immortal and not replaceable. There are no young and there is no way for us to reproduce. In the last few centuries humans have been delving into the magic from Erstwhile and summoning our population. The ARCANES are trying to keep the practitioners of this world from pulling us here. We contacted Vicki because she had experience fighting the unknown."

Henry said, "Why haven't I been contacted?"

Linden sighed, "Until recently we've looked down on the value of vampires."

"What changed?"

"Our leader has chosen to have a vampire as his companion. He advised us to study vampires and learn their true value."

Vicki reached out to Henry without conscious thought as she asked, "There's more than what you've told me before, isn't there?"

Linden used a sweeping gesture to include both Vicki and Henry, "Your inner monster came from pure chaos."

Henry gave Vicki's hand a quick squeeze as he said, "So?"

"You're more directly connected to the primal essence of creation than any of the rest of earth. From the time of the creating, a unused bit of chaos drifted off to settle on this planet. A human female found herself in the midst of that chaos and it changed her. As ages passed she fed from warm blooded creatures and some fed from her. Those that could sustain the chaos in their blood became vampire, those that could not died. Henry's sire was herself from one of the first generation of vampires. To us, it was obvious Vicki was sired by one from the ancient line of vampire."

Henry couldn't help but preen a little as he said, "How can you tell?"

"The essence of chaos radiates from all vampires. The fewer the number in a line of vampire, the stronger the essence. Vicki essence is well above the others we've encountered."

Henry sat straighter in his chair and said, "Again I ask, so what?"

"Chaos can affect chaos. But that's history and we need to talk of now."

Linden stood and waved his hand and the desk top became a mirror reflecting the room. As they focused on the image it changed to show a monster being tortured."That's a sytix summoned to do the bidding of a foolish youth. The pain it suffered when it was dragged against its will into the symbol holding it, cannot be described in words, but trust me all Erstwhile felt it. It needs to be rescued and cared for until it can be sent home or if it can't go home it must be eliminated. None of the ARCANES can go near that symbol without being trapped, but you, being a former human, can. If it's not saved, another from my world is forever lost. If all of the Erstwhile kind are lost, there will be never ending punishment for your world."

"Why would our world suffer?"

"Our world keeps the elder lesser gods busy so they don't look to your world for amusement."

Linden waved his hand and the desk top returned to normal. "Will you help?"

Henry let Vicki's hand go and stood, "I need to think this through. I've made too many hasty choices the last few years."

Vicki stood to join Henry as she asked Linden, "How much time do we have?"

Linden waved his hand over the desk and studied the events. "So far the sytix is contained and the summoner hasn't worked out how to use it. I'd say another night or two at most."

Henry nodded and asked, "This isn't dark magic is it?"

Linden shook his head and said, "No, not dark magic, just misused by those that touch my world without understanding. It can cause pain, death and suffering if released here, but if left alone in our own world , it can't harm anyone or any place."

In the outer office Bumble sat shuffling papers trying to look efficient. Vicki watched him for a moment before saying, "Why don't you go home?"

Bumble looked up, "I can't." Glancing at the inner door he said, "We can't until we know there'll be help from this side. Alone, the ARCANES are fighting a losing battle."

Henry opened the door for Vicki and they found themselves in the lobby standing in front of the elevators.

Henry let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, "They're compelling."

Vicki gave him a half smile, "Perhaps a little too dramatic, but working for them has made me feel being vampire is something useful."


	4. Chapter 4

ARCANES 4

Walking back to the car Henry asked, "What's next princess?"

"Stop that! I'm not a princess." Vicki gave a him a sharp jab to his shoulder, "If you're not calling me Vicki, it's Ms Nelson."

He rubbed his shoulder and said, "You win, Vicki." While under his breath he mumbled, "But you'll always be my warrior princess."

Vicki gave him a half smile and said, "Just don't start thinking of yourself as Prince Valiant."

Laughing, Henry pulled her toward him and gave her a deep kiss, "I won't."

After the kiss Vicki put her cheek against his and whispered, "Let's free the Styx then get on with our lives."

Henry tilted his head back enough to see her face as he asked, "Together?"

Vicki looked into his hopeful blue eyes and answered, "Together."

He pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Vicki, "Call Linden and tell him to count me in."

***

Vicki sat at the computer in Henry's apartment checking search engines, links to blogs and games that had anything to do with magic, spells, hexes, demons, and monsters. She even found a site or two that had references to some of Coreen's previous work. Henry paced the floor and called out ideas for her to research. She'd jot them down and cross referenced them whenever there seemed to be a fit.

As she worked, she fingered the clear yellow crystal that Linden had sent them along with ideas on how to entice the Styx into going back to it's own world. After a few tries she noticed the computer kept bouncing back to the same site, but she couldn't get any farther than the main page. "Henry, I keep coming back to the same page but need a password to get any farther. Can you think of a a password that'll get us in?"

"What kind of password?"

"Something catchy and juvenile."

Henry continued his pacing while throwing out words. Vicki would tap on the keys and hit submit only to have it rejected. Finally she added punctuation marks to words Henry threw out and came up with an accepted password. She made a pumping motion with her arm and said, "Woo hoo!"

He commanded, "Write it down before you forget it."

Sticking out her tongue in his general direction she wrote it down and gave it to him. He looked at it and laughed, "Vortex*-of 3! ?"

"Well, Humorous=Humble_Human didn't work."

He looked at the site full of instructions on role playing including very obvious pictures and quotes from some of his own work. He tapped print screen and snarled, "I'm having my publisher look into this." Then asked, "What's next?"

"I'm trying to find a group that meets regularly."

"How'd you come to that conclusion?"

"In the scene Linden showed us, I noticed the flooring. It looked like stuff you'd find in a community center. I'm thinking we're looking for a group of kids and that at least one of them has some natural talent for magic."

***

Bill looked at the thing screaming in the center of his artwork and shouted, "Get rid of it, Jim."

Jim looked helpless, "I can't." He looked to a tall skinny boy in the corner and said, "George, this was your idea, do something."

George held the tattered book in his hand and flipped through the pages, "There's only directions on how to call it up, not what to do next."

Bill grabbed the mop from the broom closet and moved toward the symbol. Jim pulled him back saying, "Stop it. Are you nuts or something? Everyone knows if you remove part of the binding spell the monster gets loose."

Bill whined, "We've only got until morning. Mom said we could use community room for our gaming session if we promised to have it clean and ready for the afternoon luncheon."

George held out the book, "It says here we have to command it to do our bidding."

Bill snapped, "Good one, Geo. It won't stop screaming long enough to hear what we want. Maybe it's hungry."

Jim grabbed his backpack, pulled out a ham sandwich and threw it to the center of the symbol. The thing raised an appendage and the sandwich bounced off an invisible barrier landing harmlessly at Bill's feet.

Both boys shook their heads and Bill said, "Nice try. Any more bright ideas?"

***

As Vicki moved through linked groups she saw the stone resting beside the keyboard started flashing. "Henry, come over here."

Henry dropped one of his early graphic novels on the table. He had been going through them trying to find the one used as instructions for the online role playing. "Find something useful?"

"Not yet, but I want you to keep an eye on the crystal Linden sent us. I can't watch it and the screen at the same time."

"What am I looking for?"

"Just watch it."

Vicki started tapping keys and moving the mouse.

Henry watched as the crystal would start to glow then fade depending on Vicki did with the keyboard. "There's something happening."

"Okay. Let's play Hot and Cold. Tell me every time the crystal changes."

Following Henry's instructions, Vicki kept narrowing the search until she finally landed on a community web site that mentioned a gaming group meeting at a local social hall.

Henry picked up the crystal and reviewed the letter sent by Linden before saying, "This seems too easy."

"Easy! My eyes are crossed and my wrists hurt from hours at the computer."

Henry waved the paper under her nose, "These directions."

"Not quite. We have to get into the building, bind Styx and convince a group of kids that nothing happened and there's no such thing as magic spells that can call up creatures from other planes of existence."


	5. Chapter 5

Henry stopped pacing in front of his bookcases, dropped down to his knees, pulled a few books off then found another graphic novel and pointed at the computer, "Vicki, go back to the first gaming page."

Vicki hit the back icon several times until she found the game at home site and stopped. "I've got it."

Henry flipped through the book as he looked from the screen to the pages and then shoved the book under Vicki's nose as he said, "I thought it was familiar. Look can you see it. The backdrop for the page is from my book."

Vicki looked from the monitor screen to the book several times and had to agree. She took the open book from Henry's hand and looked at the publication date. "Henry, this is almost thirty years past publication. Why is it being used now?"

"Who knows? But someone with a touch of real talent for magic used this story as instructions for a game and somehow it worked."

"You didn't base the book on something real did you?"

"Kind of, yes. I was just getting into graphic story telling and I think I pulled up some memories that should have been left alone. Anyway I never completed this series."

"Why do I get the feeling that might not be so good?"

***

Across town, three boys were staring at the thing locked in a symbol drawn on the floor as it wreathed in agony.

"At least the screaming stopped." Bill looked at Jim, "Did you bring the laptop? Maybe we can find the Master Mage and get more instructions."

Jim gave a big geeky grin and pulled out the latest laptop with all the connections a serious gamer could ever want. "All I need is a power source and I'm good to go."

George set the book down and looked at the laptop as it powered up. "How did you get this? It's just out."

Jim shrugged and looked at the screen, he didn't want to tell his friends about catching his dad doing something with the woman next door, "Dad got it for me."

The thing started screaming and trying to move either forward into the room or retreat back into the floor and Bill said, "Could you speed it up?"

***

Vicki was about to shut down the web page when she heard a ping letting her know a chat room opened.

BiJiGeo: Master Mage is called forth

Vicki looked at Henry and typed, Vortex*-of3!: Master Mage hears .

BiJiGeo: Gr big prob .

Vortex*-of3!: ?

BiJiGeo: demon won't do anything but scream.

Henry looked at Vicki and said, "Find out where they are and tell them you have more levels of the master text."

Vortex*-of3!: Where are u -I've got the text for next level.

***

Jim looked up from the screen, "I've tagged a Master Mage, he has the next level and wants to come here."

The creature gave off a flash of changing colors, a foul smell, and ear splitting moans. George and Bill covered their ears with their hands and held their breath. Jim said, "What should we do?"

Bill said, "We've got to get this thing out of here and the room cleaned. Take a chance. Tell'm where we are and tell'm to hurry."

***

The next entry gave Vicki the address of a small town about fifteen minutes from where they were.

Henry looked at the book on the table and said, "Wait a minute. I need to find the draft for the next part of the book. I'm sure I had the story line written, but never got back to the drawings." Henry went into his work area and opened filing cabinet that held his handwritten notes. Mumbling as he pulled files to check them and discard them he finally pulled the bottom draw completely away from the cabinet and found the file lying on it's side along the back. He glanced at it and gave a sigh of relief to see that he had done some sketches in the margins of the story.

Vicki waited by the door looking at the yellow obsidian crystal with it's very faint shimmering cloud and hoped it would work. She'd taken the time to look on line to see that yellow obsidian was real because she always thought of obsidian as pure black. This was clear and almost looked like a summer day. Linden's notes told her the crystal would give the Styx chance it needed to live.

Driving up to the little meeting hall and Henry shook his head. "That's not very impressive for the site of saving worlds."

"Who cares what it looks like? Lets get this done."

He parked the car and opened the trunk pulling out a long black cape for Vicki and a brown robe with cowl for himself. Raising an eyebrow in question he answered, "I use models for some of my graphic work. It helps to get the flow of fabric right when draped over a human form. Henry pulled the cowl up over his head and concentrated on creating an allusion of great age. With a shaky, cracked voice he said to Vicki, "Project the image of a warrior princess doing battle against the dark forces of unspeakable evil."

She protested, "I don't have that kind of skill."

"The vampire does. Use it."

"Why haven't you told me about this before?"

"You didn't need it while you were still with Mike. I've always planned to complete you education when the time was right."

Vicki made ready to get into a major argument when Henry added, "Put away your temper. We don't have time to discuss my teaching methods."

Vicki closed her eyes and thought about a few of the sketches Henry made of her holding his father's sword as she fastened the cape around her shoulders and opened the bodice of her shirt and pushed her jeans down low on her hips. She shook her head and her hair fell lose around her shoulders. "What's my weapon?"

Henry rummaged in the trunk and pulled out his father's sword. "Try not to stick me with it this time."

She grasped the sword, made a few practice swings then pointed the tip toward the ground, "You and I have a lot of unfinished business, Fitzroy."

The dimple that usually remained hidden winked at her as he said, "I'm hoping we never get it all finished."

Henry's sharp hearing picked up the distressed sounds of the boys voices and the pitiful moans of the trapped creature as they moved toward the back of the building. Henry's grip crushed the door knob and the lock popped open. They moved forward in silence.

Bill said, "Any word on the Mage?"

Henry hissed, "I'm here. So's my warrior."

Bill, George and Jim turned as one to see the aged Master Mage and the Warrior Princess who look like every boy's private dream. They all started talking at once and pointed to Styx.

Henry held out his notes with the final glyph carefully drawn. "Whoever drew the summoning must add this using words of a counter spell."

George spoke up and said, "We all did it."

Henry used his power and spoke, "Then you'll all do it together. _NOW!_" He pointed to Styx, "It suffers needlessly."

Getting a bit of backbone George whined, "The text claims great power will come to those that can control a demon."

Henry snarled, "You have no control over it. By bringing it here without knowing what you're doing, you've sentenced it to a needless death. Take this page and complete the drawing. I'll give you the words of the spell as you draw."

They boys crowded around the picture and grabbed the colored chalks. Vicki moved closer to the Styx and held out the yellow obsidian. The crystal grew warm in her hand and a low vibration changed the sounds of Styx screams to words she could understand. Vicki said in the same language as Styx, "I'm here to give you this so that you can go back home." Styx shrieked in pain and clawed at the air. Vicki bared her fangs and growled low, "You don't want to take out the one sent to help."

"How can a human help?"

Vicki's eyes flashed silver green, "I'm not human."

"What are you if not human?"

"I'm vampire and I work for the ARCANES."

"I'm already dead in my world, the crystal can take my spirit home."

Vicki looked down at the floor as Styx form swayed and shrank away from the edges of the glyph.

Chalk dust filled the room as they boys drew furiously and under the spell of Henry's vampire they recited a melodic chant.

The Styx continued to sway and shrink, it opened its mouth for a final shriek and Vicki threw the crystal towards it. The crystal passed through what was left of the Styx and landed in the center of the drawing. Vicki felt more than heard a sound of relief.

Henry called on all of his vampire power to freeze the boys where they stood and turned to Vicki, "Take the laptop and delete everything you can about the website. What you can't delete from here forward to our home computer so we can make changes from there."

"What are you going to do with the boys?"

Henry's fangs gleamed in the low light, "Adjust their memories, and give them enough of a scare that they don't try anything like this again. What are you going to do with the crystal?"

"Taking it to Linden and tell him about these young men. When they grow up, they might be useful to the ARCANES."

Henry weaved a story that any 'dungeon master' would be proud of for the rest of the night's gaming as Vicki placed a message on the website that said it was being pulled for repairs. Moving at vampire speed Henry removed all traces of the glyphs drawn on the floor and took his old graphic novel with him leaving a newer book in its place that he was sure didn't have any directions for summonings.

Vicki looked at the crystal and saw a cloudy opalescence that sparkled in the reflected light. as she turned the stone over the cloud shifted and she felt at peace.

***

Linden took the stone from Vicki's hand and asked her if she and Henry were ready for the next assignment.

"Not yet. I'm going to spend time with Henry and see if vampires can learn to live together."

"What about the natural order of vampire territorialism?"

"You already know he's not your average vampire and neither am I. If there's a world crisis you can always get in touch."

***

Henry's hearing picked up Vicki's words just as she knew it would. Coming out of the office building she looked towards Henry as he sat behind the wheel of his car and tilted her chin to the side as if to say , "_So? What's next? Are we going to try_?"

Henry got out of the car and rested a hand on the roof, "Are you going to just stand there?"

Vicki laughed and moved at vampire speed toward the car as he met her half way.

Henry crushed her to him and said, "While you were talking with Linden, I've officially declared that this territory is under the joint control of Vicki Nelson and Henry Fitzroy. Share a home with me."

"I'd like that."


End file.
